Perks
by GravityDefyingTrenchCoat
Summary: "And no matter the cost of training, time or energy, the perks would always be worth it. Kankuro was sure of it." Kanky-centered One-shot.


I don't know why I keep posting these one-shots. I must be that bored this week... or I'm in a Kankuro mood. Could be a little of both. :/

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><p>Disclaimer: *insert witty banter about how I don't own Naruto*<p>

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><p><strong>Perks<strong>

To Kankuro, master of puppets, middle child of the fourth Kazekage, there is no better job than that of being his brother's body guard.

_"… In the hopes that you all can understand this, we have formed a treaty with a nearby tribe to have the ability to protect our borders to the fullest extent which will lead…" _

Kankuro sat on a vantage point, behind the Kazekage's podium, where a small stage rested beyond that a sea of people all stood looking over their Kazekage as he addressed them for what they were: his people. The puppet-nin listened intently to be sure, yet at the same time, his eyes never left the crowd swarming with every shape, shade, and type of person imaginable. As the Kazekage's body guard, his job was to constantly be alert, trying to find any flaw in the system or any potential threats to the crowd or more importantly, Gaara. There were others perched behind buildings, hiding in the crowd, or simply standing guard at any necessary vantage point all intent on keeping their leader safe but Kankuro had the most prominent job as the Kazekage's lead bodyguard.

He was never far from Gaara, on duty always two feet to a couple steps behind. Not always obvious, hidden in the shadows, or in the crowd, only showing himself when he wanted to. On his off hours, he found himself doing the same if not a little bit less stealthy and more relaxed. In Kankuro's world though, he was always on duty. At any moment, he may be needed and he would be there. There to help, there to assist, there to exterminate the problem, there to even sacrifice himself. Not always as diligent as he should be, never the less, he was there.

And that's where he was now, not hiding from the crowd, no, he sat bluntly two feet away from Gaara's podium his eyes focused and preserving. Another job was to intimidate, to frighten the hoodlums that still thought fighting authority was fun. He would not stand for disrespect given to Gaara, who deserved nothing like that, unlike the previous Kazekage.

_ "… We have already disused the matters out with them, taking into account with them some issues we may encounter when dealing with both our foreign trade…" _

Kankuro slouched forward, eyes catching the face of some in the crowd. It was amazing how much he could read from a simple glance of the eyes from these people, some as easy to read as a book. He didn't linger long on those people though, their faces usually young and full of inexperience, no, his gaze lingered on those whose expression that weren't open. Closed and hard without emotion; whose soles tended to be the craftier, full of years and hatred, that lead to action or violence. As a puppeteer, Kankuro needed to be especially aware of others masks as to be able to form his own with better skill.

_ "… No, matter how long it takes. I promise we are going to have peace with all our surrounding counties and be able to move from land to land without need of ninja escort or fear the outcome of being attacked…" _

The majority of the crowd started to clap as Gaara began to wrap up his speech, efficiency in his voice as well as a small hardly detectible pride that only someone like Kankuro could hear. Kankuro's eye never wavered though, the bridge of his nose not budging from position even for a second. Than amongst the excited claps and chatter, a yell rang out from a couple of the surrounding sentries on guard from above in hiding. The puppet-nin immediately sprang out of the chair he had been given, scanning, seeing no sign of threat until he recognized the flash of a shrunken bustling through the air towards them.

"Down! Now!" Kankuro commanded roughly, unceremoniously, forcing Gaara to his knees behind himself, who had summoned up Crow. And all within the same second, the shrunken hit Crows wooden chest with a nice snapping, 'thud' as though it had hit a sturdy tree, although Crow might as well have been so at the moment.

Kankuro waited for more of an on slaughter of an attack, like raining kuni's or a storm of fire but instead he was simply met with the scudding feet of people as the crowd was thinned out by the other guards forcing them to clear the area like cattle. There were a few screams but mostly from confused children or woman being forced back out into the streets. There was no more attack though.

"Humph." Kankuro grunted indigently as he pulled a rather sharp shrunken from Crows chest, it didn't leave much of a mark though besides that of what was to be expected. Not mulling on his puppet though, he turned to Gaara who was staring up at him confused but remained on one knee. His eyes were filled with activity as he obviously was trying to piece together how he had gotten so wrapped up in his speech that he had not noticed a shrunken aimed for him. Kankuro didn't blame him though even though his brother was a full blown trained ninja; it was really his job to observe such things at this kind of moment.

"Where is he!" Kankuro fumed as he didn't lower Crow for even an inch, just in case; a ninja was always prepared. Without much as a blink though, Isago and Reki appeared in front of them in between them was the source of the weak assault.

"We have him right here, Lord Kankuro!" Isago said forcing the kid forward as Kankuro growled in annoyance. There in between the two men, was none other than a fifteen year old boy; his hair raven colored matching his angry brown eyes that were trying to struggle free. He wasn't very tall, being about two inches shorter than Gaara was who was only a year older than him. He didn't seem very pleased with his accommodation though as he as ignored them all, his only mission at the moment seemed to be to squirm away from Isago and Reki's strong unrelenting hold.

"Damn, just a kid… How did I miss that?" Kankuro questioned himself with a grumble as he placed Crow rather roughly into its scroll. His eyes turned to Gaara who hadn't moved but was now staring at the boy analyzing his face, as though searching for a clearer meaning behind his intent. Unlike Gaara's method of trying to decipher that though, Kankuro was willing to beat it out of the kid if necessary.

"Darn it, kid… Gaara, you can get up now." The young Kazekage nodded rising to his full height at the same time, smoothing out the ruffs that had formed in the long blue and white Kazekage robe. He watched intently as Kankuro stepped off the platform and towered over the young man with a glare that could usually send grown men packing. It seemed to work to some wonder as the boy stopped moving and just stared wide eyed up at him.

"What the hell do you think you were doing, kid?" Kankuro growled in annoyance licking every syllable as to show he was not screwing around. The younger boy's eyes went to the ground as Kankuro scoffed. "Well, speak up, punk! Or do want to just be thrown in prison now for just trying to assault your Kazekage! I'm giving you a fair chance to defend yourself but I have to say, you're blowing it…"

The raven haired boy's head shot up at the comment, his eyes a blaze with hatred he had never seen in someone so young; as though he had too much of a taste of it in his young life. "Go ahead and thrown me away! I'd rather be rotting in one of your god forsaken cells than to have to serve _him_!" A low angry growl escaped his throat that sound almost as rough as the rubbing of two pieces of sand paper. There was no question about who 'him' was seeing as he sent a couple of his own daggers to Gaara, standing behind him, silent. A normal person would have flinched at the comment whether out of surprise or annoyance is debatable. Kankuro did neither; in fact, slight anger began to build up in his chest as though the comment had started an aggressive fire in his body that refused to be put out now.

He stepped forward, as he prodded a finger into the boy's thin chest for emphasis. "Listen, kid. I don't know what your deal is but I don't stand crap being thrown at my face. Everything you just said was utter rubbish, I don't appreciate that. Just because you may disagree with a couple of things doesn't give you the right to chuck shrunkens at people, _especially_ not the Kazekage! I should have you hanging upside down in a prison cell for even attempting such an act!" The puppet-nin froze for a moment, his eyes searching his comrade's faces, which they themselves seemed at tad bit impressed and put back by Kankuro's threat.

A laugh came from boy as his only response at first, conjuring up a nice look of disgust from Kankuro's painted face. In anger, he grabbed the boy by the collar and brought him eye level as the other two guards surrendered their hold looking on in confusion. "Want to let us in on the joke?" A satanic smirk worked on his face as the boys grin faded to a look of dull emotion. He didn't respond. "Well?" Still nothing and Kankuro scoffed as he let the boys feet touch ground again, diligent to keep a firm grip on his shoulder to make sure he didn't have the chance to bolt.

Turning to Isago, his face became more serious as his commanding tone returned no anger or irritation present. "Find the boys parents." He ordered, Isago nodded but before he could jump away the boy spoke up clear as day with about the same amount of venom it would take to kill a cobra.

"You can't. They're dead. _He_ killed them." It was monotone speech, not even very loud, barley higher than a whisper but all four of them heard it. Kankuro searched the boys face for lies but found none. The mocking amused smile returned for vengeance as he found a motive.

"Ah, I see now. So that gives you the right to attack in the middle of an important speech, why?" The puppet-nin inquired out of mock, not really caring his reason but wanted something to go off of when he had the boy sentenced through the council for punishment; and oh, there would be one.

"He _killed them_. I had to do something. He hasn't been public often since he was elected. He has been too heavily guarded the last few times…" The younger man rattled off as he seemed to be working off his plan in his head once again. The puppet-nin laughed in amusement for a moment; just one.

"So you're attack was one shrunken!" Darkened eyes shot up at him as he insulted the plan.

"I had to do _SOMETHING_! My sister and I are alone because of him!" Tears rested at the edge of the boy's eyes now as Kankuro scrutinizing gaze softened for a moment before steeling up again.

"Pathetic. You think if you had managed to kill the Kazekage, and mind you would never have, that it would bring you happiness? That you would feel fulfilled or happy because of it? That you would have felt something more? The need for revenge is a dangerous thing to harbor kid, you can't move on with it. It weighs you down." Kankuro noticed Gaara's eyes travel to his masked face full of anger as he tried to talk some sense into the boy, even if for only a moment. He didn't want to see this boy go down a similar road like the Uchiha kid from the leaf and he really didn't want Gaara to be the one suffering for this idiot boy's quest for revenge.

"How do you know?" The boy barked in anger, trying to remove Kankuro's hand from his shoulder but the puppet-nin refused and even tightened it harder as if to send a message through action about his sincerity in the situation.

He darkened his face, getting right up to the boy his free hand once again, pointing accusingly at the boy's ragged and worn tan shirt. "You think I've never felt the need for revenge kid? Before you were even a concept, I had my own mother killed by the man who claimed to be my father. All at the same time, I had to fight off the consequences of what he had done to my brother every day, every freakin' day! Not one day could I ever rest or lay down my guard in fear of something getting me! That man made my life a living hell hole! Do you think I never thought of revenge?" Kankuro's angered eyes drifted over to Gaara who was looking wide eyes at him; his eyes the size of saucer pans. He obviously was surprised Kankuro was letting this slip out; he hardly ever talked about such matter especially because it was such a deep and personal matter at one. He didn't even know why he was breaking down the mask to the boy in his grip at the moment with such emotion. When looking down at the boy, with shaggy boy hair and a brown set of eyes to match, he saw himself in the darn kid. And no one had ever talked sense into him, which had lead to some of the stupidest decision of his life. Granted, they had basically all worked out in the end, but he didn't know if it would be the same for this kid.

"I never once tried to kill my father, no matter what he did to me! Oh! But I was not unlike you! Too wrapped up in the past to see what was really important like my siblings!" Kankuro's eyes shifted over to Gaara who still looked as stunned as ever and they softened for a moment before returning hard as he shifted his gaze back. "So don't give me any more crap about your hard life! I survived with two lurking monsters in my life, both determined to end me one way or another! But, you know how I survived each day?"

The boy shook his head, his face filled with fear now as Kankuro grabbed him with his pointer finger in his chest with inelegant strength. "I lived on, not for me but for those who mattered more than my frivolous childish needs! I moved on and fought for each day in the hopes I could make a difference to someone! And you need to do the same!" The small boy quivered as Kankuro withdrew both his hands, he didn't run though but stood slightly cowering, maybe from the truth or how imposing Kankuro was being was unidentifiable.

"What are you going to do with me, Sir?" The boys bottom lip quivered in anticipation know, obviously thinking of the punishments that could fall upon him for such an act as attacking the Kazekage. Kankuro smirked widely putting both hand on his hips.

"Oh, its Sir now is it!" That earned a good hardy laugh from the puppet master as the younger boy looked on confused obviously stunned as the rest of them as to the quick changes in Kankuro's tone and personality. Gaara could tell it was his shifting masks but he was unsure if it was all just an act or not.

"I'm not going to do anything to you boy." The kid looked up in shock. "No, I think this time I'm going to let this go as a warning. But don't take this lightly; no matter how pathetic or scrawny you are I still preserve you as a threat to the Kazekage. So expect the guards to be watching you closely kid, I don't screw up twice." The puppeteer smirked letting the small self insult roll of his tongue as he motioned the still stunned Isago and Reki forward with a flick of his gloved hand.

They didn't waste time though, rushing forward and bowing respectably, failing to keep the astonishment of hear Kankuro open up out of their voices.

_The fools, it's like they see me as a puppet with no emotions. Oh well, better to keep them guessing as to what I am. I mean, a puppeteer is supposed to always do that, right?_ Kankuro droned to himself as he stepped back from the boy letting the other two guards take the lead.

"Escort the brat back to his house and then keep watch for a little bit until I decide on a regular rotation." The two nodded and Isago grabbed the unnamed kid by the shoulders, leading him away. "Oh! And this conversation never happened." Kankuro said seriously, no smile or smirk on his face at all. They both nodded vigorously.

"O-Of course, L-Lord Kankuro!" And with that the three were gone, leaving Gaara and Kankuro alone in the now empty courtyard. Sighing, Kankuro turned around to Gaara his face brightened with a smile as he patted his brother's shoulder lightly.

"Ah, come on Gaara, I'll escort you back to the house so we can both get some food." Gaara didn't move, his eyes lightened on him as though he wanted to speak but was unsure what to say or how to start. But after a couple moments of silence, the Kazekage had found his voice which had been missing for quite some time now.

"Why?" Kankuro blinked unsure really of the question.

He laughed a little. "Why what?"

"Why did you open up like that?" Gaara asked quietly as though he were sure if Kankuro were asked any louder that he would be unwilling to share such a personal answer. The puppet-nin didn't seem to mind though, almost shrugging it off in a way.

"I'm your bodyguard." It was simply stated and wasn't surprised when it received a confused response.

"What?"

"I'm your bodyguard; it's my job to protect you. I know what that type of kid is. Confused, hate filled, not unlike what I was. He doesn't want to hurt anyone, just wounded but by the belief that revenge will cure all. He just needs to be told these things, in time he will get it or deal with the consequences from me. He's not going to get away with anything else." Kankuro took a few steps forward back to the stage, pulling his discarded Crow puppet back into its rightful spot on his back. Gaara said nothing coming to terms with all this and nodded.

"I understand, I suppose we should head home now before Temari find out about this without one of us explaining it." Gaara announced dully as usual. Kankuro smirked following one step behind his brother as they headed to the road.

"My thoughts exactly." He replied taking is usual spot, his senses perking up to catch any threat or anything disturbed.

For, Kankuro was the Kazekage's bodyguard as well as his brother's bodyguard. Even though Gaara didn't really need a bodyguard, the sand would always protect him, Kankuro still tried to work his position. Not only because it was his duty as a Suna ninja and a brother no, also because of the perks. Perks like being able to scare children into submission and always being one step behind one of the people he cared most for in life. And no matter the cost of training, time or energy, the perks would always be worth it. Kankuro was sure of it.

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><p>Done. This actually started as a drabble, but it got a little bit longer... so now it's a one-shot. Yep. Please review if ya feel like it, I do like reading comments and feedback. Please no flames though, they hurt the soul. ;)<p>

~GravityDefyingTrenchCoat~


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